The bullet that killed Sophie Sergie in 1993 could have been fired by a pistol owned by Steven Downs â and possibly a million other guns â according to testimony heard Tuesday.
Two firearms experts testified via videoconference in the rape and murder trial against Downs, 46, who had been a student at the University of Alaska Fairbanks at the time of the brutal crime.
On Tuesday, Fairbanks Superior Court Judge Thomas Temple heard testimony from witnesses presented by prosecutors and the defense who reached the same conclusion, that the .22-caliber bullet removed from 20-year-old Sergie, of Pitkas Point, was so misshapen and damaged that it was unsuitable for making an accurate comparison to any bullet fired by a specific gun.
Gillis said she tested three guns taken from Downs’ Auburn home during a February 2019 police search.
She ruled out a rifle as being the possible murder weapon. She said she couldn’t eliminate a Ruger and an H & R pistol owned by Downs as the gun that fired the lethal bullet, but said the Ruger was less likely.
Asked by Assistant Attorney General Chris Darnall whether the H & R pistol could have fired the bullet, Gillis said, “Yes, the individual characteristics and class characteristics that I see all correspond.” But, she added, “it’s not enough for an identification” due to the extensive damage sustained by the bullet.